When to Hand Out Tips at Your Wedding
A complete timeline for distributing vendor tips from the morning of your wedding through the end of the reception. So nobody gets missed.
Last verified:
Do I tip my…
Pick a vendor for the instant answer.
Yes — tip your catering staff/waiters 15–20%, end of reception (give to catering manager to distribute).
Check your contract first — a gratuity is often already included. If it says "service charge" instead of "gratuity," tip the staff separately.
Full catering staff/waiters guide → · Calculate the exact amount
Yes — tip your bartenders $50–$100 per bartender, end of reception.
Check your contract first — a gratuity is often already included. If it says "service charge" instead of "gratuity," tip the staff separately.
Yes — tip your wedding planner 15–20% or $100–$500, final meeting or wedding day.
Tip even if they own the business — this is one of the categories where owners expect it.
Yes — tip your day-of coordinator 15–20% or $200–$500, end of wedding day.
Tip even if they own the business — this is one of the categories where owners expect it.
Full day-of coordinator guide → · Calculate the exact amount
Usually — tip your photographer 5–15% or $50–$200, end of reception or with final gallery delivery.
If they own the business, a tip is appreciated but not expected.
Usually — tip your videographer 5–15% or $50–$200, end of reception.
If they own the business, a tip is appreciated but not expected.
Usually — tip your dj 10–15% or $50–$150, end of reception.
If they own the business, a tip is appreciated but not expected.
Usually — tip your band/musicians $25–$50 per musician, end of reception (give to bandleader to distribute).
If they own the business, a tip is appreciated but not expected.
Yes — tip your hair stylist 15–25%, after services (morning of wedding).
Tip even if they own the business — this is one of the categories where owners expect it.
Yes — tip your makeup artist 15–25%, after services (morning of wedding).
Tip even if they own the business — this is one of the categories where owners expect it.
Usually — tip your florist $50–$200 total, delivery day or wedding day.
If they own the business, a tip is appreciated but not expected.
Yes — tip your officiant (religious) $100–$500 donation, before or after ceremony.
If the owner is the one serving you, a tip is optional rather than expected.
Full officiant (religious) guide → · Calculate the exact amount
Usually — tip your officiant (secular) $50–$100 total, after ceremony.
If they own the business, a tip is appreciated but not expected.
Full officiant (secular) guide → · Calculate the exact amount
Yes — tip your limo/shuttle drivers 15–20% or $50–$100, end of each ride.
Check your contract first — a gratuity is often already included. If it says "service charge" instead of "gratuity," tip the staff separately.
Full limo/shuttle drivers guide → · Calculate the exact amount
Yes — tip your valet $1–$5 per car, when car is retrieved.
Check your contract first — a gratuity is often already included. If it says "service charge" instead of "gratuity," tip the staff separately.
Usually — tip your cake baker $50–$100 total, delivery.
If they own the business, a tip is appreciated but not expected.
Usually — tip your photo booth attendant $50–$100 total, end of reception.
If they own the business, a tip is appreciated but not expected.
Full photo booth attendant guide → · Calculate the exact amount
Yes — tip your delivery personnel $10–$50 per person, upon delivery.
If the owner is the one serving you, a tip is optional rather than expected.
Full delivery personnel guide → · Calculate the exact amount
Usually — tip your ceremony musicians $15–$50 per musician, after ceremony.
If they own the business, a tip is appreciated but not expected.
Full ceremony musicians guide → · Calculate the exact amount
Yes — tip your coat check $1–$2 per guest, when retrieving coats.
Check your contract first — a gratuity is often already included. If it says "service charge" instead of "gratuity," tip the staff separately.
The most important tip (pun intended):
Prepare all envelopes the night before and give them to one person — your planner, coordinator, or a family member. You should not be thinking about tips on your wedding day.
1-2 weeks before
Get cash from the bank
Request specific denominations. Our calculator tells you exactly which bills.
Prepare labeled envelopes
Write vendor name, amount, and delivery instructions on each.
Assign a tip distributor
Give all envelopes to your planner, coordinator, or trusted family member.
Morning of wedding
Hair stylist
Tip right after your hair is done. 15-25% per service.
Makeup artist
Tip right after makeup. 15-25% per service.
Delivery personnel
Tip each delivery person as rentals, flowers, etc. arrive. $10-$50 per person.
After ceremony
Officiant
$50-$100 (secular) or donation to house of worship (religious).
Ceremony musicians
$15-$50 per musician. They often leave right after.
End of reception
Catering staff / banquet captain
15-20% if not in contract. Give total to captain to distribute.
Bartenders
$50-$100 each if gratuity isn't included.
DJ or band
$50-$150 for DJ; $25-$50 per musician for bands.
Photographer
$50-$200 per photographer. Can also wait until gallery delivery.
Videographer
$50-$200. Can wait until final video delivery.
Photo booth attendant
$50-$100 as they pack up.
Day-of coordinator
15-20% of fee. Can also tip at your post-wedding meeting.
Wedding planner
15-20% of planning fee.
When retrieving vehicles
Valet attendants
$1-$5 per car. Best to prepay and post a sign.
Limo/shuttle drivers
15-20% or $50-$100 if not in contract.
The envelope system in detail
Here's exactly how to set up your envelope system. Go to the bank and get the specific cash denominations you need (our calculator figures this out for you). The night before the wedding, sit down with your envelopes, the cash, and this timeline.
On the front of each envelope, write three things: the vendor's name, the amount inside, and when it should be delivered (morning, after ceremony, end of reception). Stack the envelopes in chronological order. Hand the stack to your designated tip person with a copy of this timeline.
What if you're not sure about amounts?
Use our calculator to get exact amounts based on your actual vendor costs and tipping style. It'll tell you the tip for each vendor and exactly which bills to request from the bank.
What you'll need
Supplies for organizing your wedding day tips.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Get your exact tip amounts + cash breakdown
Enter your vendor costs and get a printable checklist with exact amounts and bill denominations.
Open CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
What if I forget to tip someone on the day?
It happens. Send a check or cash in a thank-you card within a week of the wedding. Include a note explaining it was an oversight. Vendors understand how hectic wedding days are.
Can my wedding planner handle all the tips?
Yes, and this is the preferred approach. Give your planner all the labeled envelopes at the rehearsal dinner or the morning of the wedding. They know exactly when each vendor finishes and can handle distribution seamlessly.
Should I tip before or after the service?
After, in almost all cases. The one exception is prepaid valet and coat check, which are set up before guests arrive. For everyone else, tip when their service is complete.
Last updated: